Breathing Space
by LouBear21
Summary: Why did Natalie take that sabbatical? Spoilers for Season 3 premiere. Now a collection of post-episode Manstead one-shots!
1. Speak Your Truth

**I was so overwhelmed by the season premiere - it was amazing and everything I needed it to be and more. This is a one-shot based on the progression of Will and Natalie from Cold Front (2x14) to Speak Your Truth (3x01) - so don't read on if you haven't seen the premiere and don't want it spoiled!**

 **The next chapter of my other fic "Only You" should be up soon!**

 **As always please leave reviews and let me know what you think - of this piece and the season premiere!**

" _Are we Will? Are we just good friends?"_

Not that she would ever admit it, but she had almost burst into tears. Standing face to face in the room where he had once kissed her, where she had held him while he cried, where they'd argued, laughed, where the foundations of what they had had been built.

For him to say that they were _just good friends_ was almost like a punch to the stomach. It knocked the wind from her, yet from somewhere she summoned composure, gave a nod, and agreed.

By the time she reached the door she was biting the inside of her cheek in a bid to keep the tears at bay. They almost spilled over when he tried to call her back.

"No you're right – we're good friends. Night Will."

The realisation that she might feel something more for the man who had become her best friend had almost been unwelcome. He was her boss, someone who had her back not only at work but also with personal things – and she was there for him.

Split from Clarke she had started to notice the bubbles of excitement she felt when Will caught her eye, smiled in her direction or just walked into the room. She recognised the warm feeling that spread through her when they laughed together, the familiarity in the comfortable way they talked. She tried to ignore the tingles when he innocently brushed against her, the electricity she felt between them as they bantered back and forth.

But for Will to tell her that it was all one sided, that all they were was friends, just as she had come to the realisation that perhaps they weren't and maybe, just maybe she was okay with that; was a bitter pill to swallow.

" _Come on."_

She'd looked behind him for Nina and she knew he'd seen her look – but he didn't explain his girlfriend's absence. Instead, he held out a hand towards her in invitation. She only hesitated briefly before reaching towards him.

As their hands joined she tried to ignore the spark of electricity she felt, just taking advantage of this offer of a dance. Her heart almost exploded as his hand slid around her waist as they danced, he pulled her flush against him as they moved to the sound of Bruno Mars and she tried to focus on her breathing as their faces came only inches apart. The feel of his breath on her neck brought a flush to her chest that she prayed her top and the lighting kept hidden, but there was no hiding the huge smile on her face – or his.

She briefly considered how Nina might feel if she were to arrive late and see her boyfriend in the arms of the woman she admitted to being jealous of – but she couldn't bring herself to properly care. For that moment, for that song, she was going to enjoy having Will Halstead to herself.

As the first bars of a slower number began to play, she fully expected Will to pull away, to laugh and offer to buy her a drink with an arm slung around her shoulder. All he did was pull her closer – and willingly she went, pressing her chest to his, sliding her arms around his neck as his found home on the small of her back. They swayed together, her head on his shoulder, his cheek resting atop her head, to the sound of Ed Sheeran.

A perfect four minutes and twenty-three seconds.

" _When you left, you knew about me and Nina. But I didn't get a chance to tell you why I broke up with her."_

The night had been cut abruptly short as the news of Dr Charles' shooting made its way to the party and she had barely time as their slow dance ended to bid the red headed doctor goodnight never mind ask where his girlfriend was.

She'd gone home to relieve Helen for the evening, resolving to ask during their next shift.

However, the next morning he wasn't there. She thought he'd just started early and was upstairs in the ICU or had gone with a patient to the cath lab, which was why he'd missed the briefing from Ms Goodwin on Dr Charles' condition (stable but critical) and the news that his attacker was currently on a 72-hour psych hold under heavy sedation.

When several hours had passed and she still hadn't seen any sign of him, she went looking for Maggie.

"Maggie," she sidled up to the nurse, making a show of handing over some patient notes in an attempt at nonchalance, "you haven't seen Will have you?"

"You haven't heard?" Maggie asked, eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip.

"No?" She could see the look of disbelief on her friends' face. "Maggie I have no idea what's going on."

"Had to take the day to move his stuff."

"Move his stuff?" She wasn't catching on, much to her friend's amusement. "Move his stuff where?"

"Out of Nina's apartment." Maggie watched Natalie's face carefully. "He broke up with her last night."

"Last night?"

"I thought with the way you two were dancing together that you were the first to know."

"No." It came out as a whisper. "I had no idea."

She'd gone to see Sharon at the end of her shift, claimed that what had happened to Dr Charles had gotten her thinking about how much time she spends with her son, how tomorrow isn't guaranteed and that she needed to take some time. It was partially true, Daniel being shot had reminded her that she wasn't entirely safe at work, that anything could happen and she might never see her baby son again.

More to the point, her head had been racing all day. Hadn't she commented not twenty-four hours ago on how happy Will and Nina looked? Hadn't he agreed? Why had he broke up with her? Was it something to do with her? Is that why immediately afterwards he'd sought her out at Noah's party – because now he was free to act as he wanted?

Now that he was free of his relationship with Nina, did that mean he would take back what he had said? Was he going to concede that there was more between them than just friendship? Was this going to be the start of something?

And wasn't this what she wanted? Hadn't she caught herself in a daydream about what it might be like to be with Will? To be in a relationship with him and how he would be with her son?

Owen. Her baby needed her but in the absence of his biological father he also needed a male role model in his life – and with her own dad two thousand miles away and Jeff's dad even further, there was a definite need for one. Could Will be that for her son? Would he even want to be?

It was all too much. She needed time and space to just think – and mostly breathe. So she quietly let Maggie and April know she was leaving for a while and the following morning she boarded a flight to Seattle, her son held tightly in her arms.

It felt so good to get away, to reconnect with her parents, her brothers, to embrace the freedom to just relax. She tried her best not to overthink or overcomplicate and enjoy the attention her dad lavished upon her and her son and the quality time she got to spend with her mom. Yet in the end, her mother forced her hand.

They'd gone a walk together, through the woods near the house they'd lived in since Natalie was five, Owen was sat atop her dad's shoulders and the pair had pressed on well ahead. Kate considered her daughter carefully, not wanting to push too hard, she linked her arm through her daughter's and squeezed.

"So are you going to tell me what prompted this?"

"Prompted what?"

"Don't try that with me – you know I mean this extended vacation you and Owen are on."

"I just, needed some time away from Chicago." She sighed at her mother's raised eyebrows. "To spend time with Owen and to, I don't know, try to get some perspective."

"On?"

"A lot of things have been happening. I just, got overwhelmed and needed to get away."

"Not to be intrusive – is this about a guy?" Her mother had never been one to shy away from things.

"Mom." Nat started.

"Y'know, it's been over two years, sweetheart. Jeff would never have wanted, or expected you, to live the rest of your life alone."

"I know it's just – it's complicated." Natalie sighed. "I don't want to jump into anything. It's important that if I move on I move on to someone who understands the kind of responsibility of having a child – and ideally someone who wants to help me raise my son, who can love him as well as me."

"And you're worried that this guy won't want to be involved with Owen?"

"I just don't want to force the issue."

"From what Helen's told me, that shouldn't be an problem with your friend Will."

Nat startled. "How did you –" She almost choked. "What has Helen said?!"

"She told us all about Will the day we came to meet Owen – she joined us in the cafeteria when he came to visit you. About how he supported you through the pregnancy, how he fought to stay with you when you were in labour but she forced him out."

"She did what –"

"It's all by the by now, darling." Kate waved her daughter down. "I saw the way he was with you and Owen when you were leaving the hospital and I know he came to visit often enough when we left. I assume this is the man you're worrying about forcing your child upon?" Natalie struggled to find her next words, as her mother continued. "It doesn't really sound like you've got too much to worry about, does it?"

"I mean, you and Helen gossiping is more than _slightly_ concerning."

"I think the only thing stopping you from moving on is you." Kate stopped in front of her daughter and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Why don't you give Will a chance?"

Two weeks later, she flew home.

" _It was because of the feelings I have for you – and those feelings haven't gone away."_

It had been a rough day. The woman who had lost her husband in the car accident before she could tell him how she truly felt had hit home a little too hard. What if something happened to Will or he moved on before she could find it in herself to be honest with him? After her conversation with her mom she had resolved to tell him – but it had to be at the tight moment.

And then he'd said those words. He had, _has_ , feelings for her. Romantic feelings. He doesn't see them as just good friends. He broke up with Nina because he felt something for _her_.

He'd been so eager to insist that he didn't expect anything, that he didn't want any kind of response. He just wanted her to know how he felt. All she could think about was the way it felt to be in his arms as they danced, the way she had felt when she seen him that morning for the first time in months and the way his eyes had lit up when he seen her – it made sense now.

He had started to leave when she decided, screw it, no time like the present.

Tonight, she was going to kiss _him_.

" _My um, my sabbatical, the things I needed to think about? It's you."_

He'd gone to walk away but she'd stopped him, floored him. His heart was pounding in his ears. He was the reason for her sabbatical? He'd assumed it was connected to the shooting of Dr Charles, that it had been another stark, unnecessary, reminder of the fragility of life. So, when he heard she'd taken extended leave, he wasn't entirely surprised. He had assumed she wanted to spend more time with Owen, reconnect with her family in Seattle – he would never have guessed that it had something to do with him. He might have been a little upset she'd not said goodbye, given him a chance to explain his break up, but he wasn't angry with her like he might have been in the past.

He just missed her. A lot.

He wanted to say something, to clarify what the _exactly_ she meant by that, but she'd barely let the dumfounded expression settle on his face before she was kissing him.

Her lips were as soft as he remembered, the same perfect fit on his. The feel of her hand on his neck burned, warmth spreading right down to his toes. Her hair tangled around his fingers, the feel of her chest pressed against his, every nerve ending in his body was alive. This was what he had been waiting for, this is what he had been dreaming of for months, _years_ even.

When they broke apart, flushed and breathless, her face was alight with the most beautiful smile. She linked their fingers and he grazed his forehead gently on hers, as Natalie exhaled slowly and looked into his eyes.

"There are very few people I care more about too."

 **Please leave reviews!  
** **Is anyone else just DYING from the last 64 seconds of that episode? Because I swear I shed tears.**


	2. Nothing to Fear

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the reads/follows/favourites/reviews on my last one-shot!**

 **I'm having multiple teething issues with the next chapter of my Manstead fic "Only You" so I have decided to keep writing post-ep Manstead to try and get over my writer's block.**

 **I really hope you guys enjoy this one - a bit shorter than last time but, I hope, just as good!**

" _Is that what you're planning on wearing tonight?"_

" _It's a brand new Chiara Boni!"_

" _I mean, no, it's probably fine – if you think it's fancy enough for the corner table at Alinea?"_

It had only been a light-hearted joke but when she walked out of the hospital to meet him that night, wrapped up in that stunning blue dress, he could _not_ take his eyes off her. Nor could he string a sentence together.

"Fancy enough?" Nat smirked, arms raised in question.

"Wow, uh, yeah," Will cleared his throat. "More than fancy enough – you're gorgeous Natalie." He reached out for her hand, pulling her in for a slow, lingering kiss.

"You look pretty good yourself, Dr Halstead." Natalie stepped back to admire him, keeping his left hand firmly in her right. "Definitely fancy enough for the corner table at Alinea."

"Well thank you," Will laughed as they began their walk towards the waiting cab. "About that, there was just one thing I wanted to do first." Natalie looked at him questioningly as he held the car door open for her. "A quick detour, it'll be worth it."

"You're in charge." She smiled, shuffling across the backseat as he hopped in beside her.

"Navy Pier, please." He instructed the driver, sliding his arms around Natalie and giving her a brief kiss to dispel her confused expression. "Relax, we're gonna have fun."

" _Hey, you're not gonna let fear win, are you?"_

" _Yes. Yes I am."_

" _Come on, just one ride ….. I'm gonna be next to you the whole time. Trust me."_

She could not _believe_ he'd managed to talk her onto a ferris wheel. Especially one that took them almost 200 feet into the sky. It's like he'd heard her talk about being scared of ferris wheels and rollercoasters and taken it as a personal challenge.

But she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed with him, or even upset – because he just looked so happy with one arm pulling her flush against his side and his other hand held tightly in hers. As their pod reached the top of the first circle and they got a gorgeous view of Chicago, she could feel her heart thundering in her rib cage. She knew her hands were clammy but Will didn't pull his away. Instead he pressed a kiss against the side of her head.

"You don't have to be afraid, Nat." His arm tightened around her. "I won't let anything happen to you – you're perfectly safe."

"Thank you." Natalie smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know, I know it's irrational to be scared of stuff like this but –"

"That's not what you're actually scared of." Will finished.

"Yeah, it's a bit more complicated than a fear of heights." She sighed.

"Well, about that." Will rubbed started rubbing circles on her shoulder with his thumb. "When you left the hospital after having Owen, I told you to call me if you needed anything – what I'm trying to say is, I already care about your son, I've adored that kid since he was born. Hell, before that. I've had these feelings for you for the longest time but you going on sabbatical made me think about what this, _us_ , would mean, and listening to you speak to that woman today just reminded me of that. I want you in my life Natalie, which means I want Owen too." He shook his head. "I guess, that the reason I took you on this ferris wheel was to tell you that you don't have to be scared because I'll be right here, through everything." Will stopped and cleared his throat almost nervously. "If you'll have me."

For the longest time Natalie just stared at him, as the wheel kept turning them round, finally on their last turn.

"Sorry that was a little intense –"

Natalie cut him off with a kiss. "No, it wasn't, it was perfect. Thank you."

Will kissed her back, soft and slow, one hand tangled in her hair. "I just, thought you should know that I've considered everything."

And it meant the world to her, she just didn't have the words to tell him. Knowing that he had thought about what a long-term relationship would look like and thought about her son and where he fit into all of this was a huge relief. It meant that it was something she wouldn't have to worry about bringing up over dinner one night. Although, given everything they'd been through as friends she surely knew that he cared about Owen – after all, who came over to hang a mobile after a 14-hour shift if they _didn't_ care?

**Chicago Med**

In the end, they didn't make their reservations. Instead, they walked around Navy Pier, way too over dressed, eating hot dogs and catching each other up on the three months they'd spent apart.

As they leant against the railings at the end of the Pier, the breeze fresh on their faces, Natalie couldn't help but think that, despite the missed dinner reservation, she had had a much better night there on the pier. At their point in life, how many first dates consisted of a ride on a big wheel? Hot dogs for dinner, bags of warm cotton candy for dessert and what had basically turned into a game of twenty questions. It was like being back in high school – but in a good way.

Taking the jump and deciding to give this a shot had been exciting and terrifying all at once but after tonight all she could feel was excited. The fear of how to broach the subject of where her son fit in had been entirely unneeded, her mom had been right and Will had confirmed it. He really was in it for the long haul.

Their first date had gone nothing like he had expected but he had enjoyed every second. He was relieved he hadn't overwhelmed her with the whole Ferris wheel experience – it really had been a collection of make or break moments for the night - and that she had no objections to strolling around hand in hand and just _talking_. Talking was never really something he had been good at in any of his past relationships but with Natalie, it wasn't even an effort. He could tell her anything, he had always been able to tell her everything – and they could (and had previously) talked for hours on end.

"So," Will started as he popped the last of the cotton candy in his mouth and tossed the bag in the bin. "Given that 95% of relationships are decided on the first date, how'd I do?"

Natalie laughed, sliding her arms around his waist and tilting her face to look at him. "Let's see, you forced me on a big wheel mere hours after hearing about my abject fear of heights, missing our reservations at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city resulting in a dinner of hot dogs, french fries and candy floss."

Will winced.

"But, I like hot dogs and candy floss, and we had much better conversation wandering this pier than over a meal that would have been so expensive it would have taken too many shifts to think about to earn back; most importantly, even though I knew before, tonight has confirmed to me that the guy I am seeing is not only incredibly attractive but also thoughtful, considerate and willing to work a relationship around a two-year-old – and that sorta thing earns you extra points." She stood on tiptoes to kiss him, tangling her hands in his windswept curls. "But if you're asking me that, based on GQ statistics, do I see a second date in the cards? Mmmm," she teased, inches from his lips. "Without a doubt."

 **Please let me know what you thought! Hit the review button or PM me, hopefully have the Trust Your Gut one shot up soon!**

 **Have a lovely Christmas guys!**


	3. Trust Your Gut

**Hey guys! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year, I am back with another post-episode fic – here is how I think things panned out after the credits in Trust Your Gut.**

 **As always, thank you for the reads, follows and especially reviews – please, please let me know what you all think of these short pieces.**

 **Quick warning – this chapter should have a T rating but as most of the others will be (likely) be family friendly I'm keeping the overall rating as is.**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

"So much for that hot date." Natalie laughed as she slid a pizza onto the countertop between them.

Both doctors were still bleary eyed from their impromptu nap and still wearing the scrubs they'd had on for 16 hours. They'd been woken up about two hours after Will had come to fetch her from the doctor's lounge by the hubbub of a particular nasty trauma. It was 10pm and they were both still pretty worn out but neither had been willing to call off their date, desperate to salvage some time together despite the slow start.

Natalie had drove them back to her place, with Will ordering pizza from the passenger seat, and they'd taken up residence at her breakfast bar.

"You'll need to excuse the mess." Nat had warned as they crossed the threshold. "My son doesn't quite understand one toy at a time."

A corner of the living room had been assigned to Owen and his toys with a brightly coloured sponge mat for him to play on and a toy chest and drawers within easy reach. Yet his block collection had spilled onto the surrounding hardwood and a train track was wound rather creatively around entire room with engines and carriages strewn haphazardly across the floor.

Will chuckled. "I see there's been several derailments and a building collapse in here."

"Oh yeah, he loves knocking the brick towers down." Nat supplied leading him into the kitchen. "He also really enjoys propelling the trains along the track and laughing when they topple around corners."

The place had changed a lot since Will had last been over, admittedly that had been over a year ago but the kitchen was brand new and he didn't think he recognised a single piece of furniture he'd seen so far. Natalie sat down on a stool and kicked the other outwards, offering Will a seat.

"Looks a little different in here, huh?"

"Yeah but it looks great - you've changed a lot."

"Everything actually."

Will tilted his head in question. "How come?"

"I just needed it to be my place. Y'know? I'd finally come to terms with Jeff being gone and I was fed up of being constantly reminded of what was missing in the paint colours he'd picked or the sofa he'd twisted my arm into choosing even though I much preferred another." She slid a bottle of water across the table towards Will. "I needed the change, I needed to move on."

"I guess that must've helped, especially with dating Clarke and bringing him back here." Will acknowledged.

To his surprise, Natalie flushed. "I actually never had Clarke over here. We always just went to his place."

"Oh." Will sipped some water. "So -"

"Yeah, you're the first guy I've ever had over here."

"Well, I'm really glad you feel comfortable enough to have me here." He reached out, grabbing her hand and gently running his thumb over her knuckles. "It means a lot."

Natalie smiled and was about to reply when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I dunno, I'm starting to really enjoy these alternative date nights." Will joked, flipping open the box and digging into the pizza. "I feel like they're working out better than any plans that we could've made."

Natalie laughed. "I'm glad you're not annoyed with me of falling asleep."

"Hey it was a long day and I fell asleep too." Will shrugged it off. "Anyway, we're here now right? Just the two of us, plus this pretty great pizza." He leaned across and pressed a brief kiss to her cheek. "There's no place I'd rather be."

"You're the best you know that?"

"Damn right."

Natalie rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're so full of yourself."

"You love it." Will winked at her. "Now come on - don't make me eat this thing by myself."

** Chicago Med **

They retired to the sofa on the living room post pizza, Nat curled against Will's side flicking through the channels on the tv for something to watch. As it turned out there was nothing much on at one am on a Wednesday morning, nothing either of them was interested in anyway. Will was watching her intently as she clicked through the screens, attempting to puzzle out what she was thinking.

"Could always try Netflix." Natalie suggested, not looking at him.

His heart swelled when he recognised nervousness in her features, in the way she was tense against his side. He let out a breath and plucked the remote from her hand.

"We could," he agreed, "or, we could not."

Before she had the chance to respond he turned the screen off and tossed the remote to the side. He brought his hand to the side of her face and turned her gently to look at him.

"Natalie, it's just me." He ran a thumb across her cheek and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "This doesn't have to go any further if you don't -"

He was cut off by Nat's lips on his as she stole a quick kiss and wrapped her arms around him. She breathed a sigh of relief and started pressing kisses to his neck. "I actually thought you might choose Netflix."

Will groaned appreciatively as she worked her way back towards his lips. "Never." He smirked before capturing her lips in his. They both leaned in closer, their bodies pressing tightly together, hands freely roaming, lips and tongues battling for control.

"Thank god." Nat groaned.

Will didn't think he'd ever lost control of a situation so quickly. One minute they were sat up, Natalie was kneeling beside him, her hands tugging at his hair; and the next he was laying down with Nat straddling his waist, her hands roaming under his scrubs top. He was so wound up he thought he might explode there and then. He'd been imagining this all day but nothing came close to the feeling of Natalie on top of him, grinding her hips against him, nipping at his neck between kisses.

For her part, Natalie was proud she hadn't jumped him far earlier. It had been a struggle to keep her hands off him while they ate and before that, when they'd woke up in the doctors lounge, she'd wanted him there and then. They'd been on a promise all day and finally it was going to be fulfilled.

She pulled her lips from his to suck at the junction between his neck and shoulder, her body tingling at the groan it pulled from the red head beneath her.

"God Nat, you're killing me." Will groaned again, sliding his hands under her scrubs, eagerly pressing higher. His hands found her breasts and she groaned as he fondled her through the lace of her bra.

"Will," she breathed. "Will, please." She leant down and whispered in his ear. "Take me to bed."

Dr Halstead, needed no further invitation and with a graceful ease, he stood up, holding her firmly against him, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and carried her to her bedroom.

It was better than Will could ever have imagined, months of barely repressed attraction and lust, now given an outlet, poured out. It was hot and passionate and intense but at the same time it was so incredibly intimate. They took their time, desperate to explore every inch of each other, to make the most of their first time together. Nat was almost completely overwhelmed by how gentle he was with her, how he used just the right amount of force in each touch to convey how important this was, how important _she_ was to him.

Thlen, finally he was inside her, they were chest to chest, his nose grazing her forehead, as close as they could be.

Once they started moving, found their rhythm, neither lasted long, yet it was everything they both needed.

Will didn't think that he'd ever experienced anything like it. He'd never felt as much emotion, or such intense desire and affection for someone before. As his heart slowed and he relaxed into Natalie's arms, he decided that this might be one of the best nights of his life.

Arms wrapped around him, absentmindedly stroking his head as he dozed in her arms, Natalie's mind was racing. She'd never thought that after losing Jeff she would ever experience that sort of emotional and physical intimacy with anyone else again. Yet here she was, in the room they had previously shared, in the arms of another man and she'd found it.

With Will there was the physical attraction that made it so intense, there was the emotional connection, the knowledge of how deep her feelings for him went and knowing that he felt the same way about her which leant to the intimacy, the closeness of the experience and the emotion behind it. It was more than just physical attraction like with Clarke, but something else ( _more?_ ) than with Jeff. With Will it was different, there was something else she just couldn't identify. A familiarity maybe? Their relationship was built upon a solid friendship, a closeness that no other relationship she'd been in had started from.

She had been right all those months ago in the doctor's lounge, there was definitely something special between them.

As she drifted off to sleep, her head pillowed on Will's chest once more, she realised belatedly that he never had shaved.

Maybe she liked the sandpaper feel after all.

 **I love them so much. I really hope I did them justice – please leave your opinions in the review section!**


	4. Naughty or Nice

**Finally getting a post Naughty or Nice? chapter up! This one is slightly different than the others in that it takes place a good few years post-episode. I kinda have this odd timeline for how I would like things to work out for them in my head – but let me know what you think in the reviews!**

 **Thank you for all the alerts/follows/favourites – I hope you're still enjoying reading these as much as I enjoy writing them!**

 _Several years later._

He drove home from his shift, several hours later than planned. It was almost midnight, the snow falling in sheets playing havoc with visibility. At a stop light, he nudged his phone to check for messages, wondering if Natalie was still awake.

They were originally on the same shift but a call from the school nurse and a brief conversation over who's turn it was to be on sick child duty had resulted in her leaving early. _Dr Mom to the rescue_ , he'd joked, earning an icy glare from Nat which had him wincing as he watched her stalk from the ED. He had earned it; it was his turn after all and he'd dodged the bullet. Instead of having a conversation about it he'd pulled rank and she _hated_ when he pulled rank.

He was more worried that she might still be pissed with him. He highly suspected she might be.

Pulling into their drive behind Nat's car, now covered in several inches of snow, he took a moment to assess the situation. The lack of light from first floor windows and drawn shades had him hopeful that Natalie had gotten bedtime sorted ours ago, the light in their living room implied that she herself was still awake.

 _Time to face the music_. Will sighed and braced himself for the short, yet freezing walk to the front door.

Determined to keep the disruption of his arrival to a minimum he kicked off his boots so as not to make noise stamping the snow off them on entry and opened the door as silently as possible. He was shrugging off his coat when Natalie appeared in the kitchen doorway, a brightly coloured bed sheet folded over her arm.

"You're home late." There was no accusation, just a statement of fact. She sounded exhausted. "Big emergency?"

"20 car pile-up on the freeway." He slid his bag under the hallway table before moving towards Natalie. Wordlessly, she led him through the kitchen and back into the laundry room where she had been before as he came in. Clearly, a lot had accrued in the time since she'd left work.

"So, by the time I got to the school Theo had thrown up on himself and was in absolute hysterics, by the time I got him home, bathed and calm enough to nap, Helen came in with Owen who promptly threw up in the hallway." She sighed and started to aggressively fold their sons' freshly dried uniforms. "No sooner had that happened than Teddy threw up _again_ this time in his bed." She indicated to the bedsheets she'd previously been holding. "So we set up camp in the living room and watched Wreck-It Ralph and Moana back to back, in between fevers spiking, episodes of vomiting from both boys and crying because Owen thought Theo was hogging the duvet and Theo claimed Owen was stealing it."

She sounded exhausted. "I hate it when they're sick – but I especially hate it when they're sick at the same time."

Will crossed the short space between them and slid an arm around her. To his surprise, she folded into his arms, almost defeated. "I'm really sorry sweetheart."

"You're getting up with them during the night." She mumbled into his chest.

He laughed. "Of course." He pulled back. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."

Shockingly, she did not fight him.

**CM**

Will shed his clothes, making sure to get them into the laundry basket that night rather than into the vicinity of it. He waited perched on the end of their bed until Natalie came to join him.

As they pulled they pulled the duvet around them Will tugged her closer, spooning her, sliding a hand under her cami and across her belly. There was small but definite bump now.

"How have you been today?" He asked, moving his hand in slow circles.

"Tired as usual, but at least the morning sickness is gone." He could hear the smile in her voice. "Which means she's definitely a girl."

"You don't know that for sure." He laughed pressing a kiss to her hair. "Could be another boy."

"I think that would destroy Maddie."

Will scoffed. "Madeleine wouldn't be bothered, she'd love being the only girl." He paused for the briefest of seconds. "Speaking of our daughter – how's she been today?"

"She's not sick yet. She had dinner with Saffron and April dropped her off about 6." He felt her tense beneath him.

"What's up?"

"Are we crazy?" Natalie twisted in his arms. "I mean, it was mad enough having Theo and Madeleine 11 months apart and having three under 5 was tough, but now they're all in school and things were going so well." She inhaled shakily. "Are you sure we can do this?"

"Hey, hey, where did this come from?" Natalie was sobbing quietly into his chest. "Of course we can do this. We've been doing pretty well with three kids for the last four years. I don't reckon a fourth one is going to make much difference.' He soothed. "What was it your Great Aunt told us? _Once you're outnumbered, what's one more_?" That got a chuckle out of her. "It's been a tough day, the boys are sick, you're tired and hormonal – but we can absolutely manage."

"I just don't want you to wake up someday and wish you were somewhere else, or go somewhere else."

"Hey, I wanted the big family remember?" He remembered the look on her face when he'd said he'd always fancied the idea of three kids, maybe four. She'd thought he was crazy and asked if him if he'd gone insane. _I've been through the whole pregnancy and birth thing and I'm not sure I want to do that again._ "Plus, where would I go?"

'Oh I dunno," she was starting to really wind herself up now. "Maybe, Aruba?"

Will burst into fits of laughter. "Oh dear god, _Aruba_. Ohh," he wiped tears from his eyes. "Do you remember that guy? Look how that turned out– he got Ebola and his wife left him."

"Aruba." Natalie repeated giggling. "You've never thought it?" She was serious again, he knew she didn't mean the place. Over the years it had become their code word for walking out or having an affair or just simply giving up on the whole full-time-doctors-married-with-kids thing for something simpler. "When the kids are at each other's throats or you've just came in from a 14-hour shift and they just want to be held or they're sobbing hysterically over nothing, you've never thought about leaving?"

"Oh, absolutely." Will pushed her hair from her damp face and kissed her before she could interrupt him. "But I would never run away without you. This is everything I've ever wanted. You are the only person I ever want to be with."

"Good." She grazed her nose along his, inhaling deeply and they lay for a few moments in comfortable silence, she seemed pacified for the moment.

They were interrupted by a creak from across the hall.

 _Maddy._

Seconds later a tiny figure appeared in their doorway, illuminated by the glow of the streetlamp outside.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Her little voice was quivering.

Will sat up first opening his arms to his daughter, who crossed the room quickly and hopped onto his lap. "Hey sweetheart, you okay?" He knew her answer before she spoke from the burn of her cheeks against his bare shoulder.

"I feel sick."

Natalie was up beside them in a heartbeat, stroking their daughter's soft dark hair, taking her temperature with a gentle hand to her forehead. They both felt the four-year-old tense – and Will had hoisted her in the bathroom just before she threw up.

**CM**

"That was good timing." Natalie smirked as she watched Will tucked their daughter back into bed half an hour later, propping her up on her pillows a little higher than usual and turning her so she was sleeping on her side.

"Years of practice," he pressed a kiss to Maddy's forehead and the pair slowly retreated to their bedroom.

Sliding back into bed, Will pulled his wife back into his arms. "Now, Dr Halstead, you sleep and if there are any more issues, I will deal with it."

Nat sighed appreciatively. "Thank you."

"I hope you know how much I love you – sacrificing sleep after a long shift–" He was cut off as Natalie punched his arm.

"I hope you know that Aruba is sounding more appealing by the minute." She teased, getting a laugh in response. "I love you too."

Minutes later as they were drifting off the sleep, the sound of Owen's voice echoed down the hall. Much to Natalie's amusement he was calling "Dad!" at the top of his lungs.

She chuckled into her pillow as Will groaned, already regretting his promise. "Dr. Dad to the rescue, huh?"

"I should have left for Aruba _years_ ago." He whined as he crossed their room.

The sound of Natalie's muffled laughed followed him as he went and despite knowing what he was heading towards, he couldn't shake the smile from his face.

 **Please leave your thoughts in the reviews!**


	5. Mountains & Molehills

**Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback on the last oneshot, as always it is very much appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Apologies about the delay on this one – uni work has got me very behind on fic writing but this one pretty much wrote itself. Also, I needed positive Manstead vibes.**

 **Thanks for all the follows/favourites/alerts – like I say every time, leave your reviews cos they mean the world!**

**CM**

" _So, you can still feel everything above the knees?"_

" _You should probably make sure."_

Not quite the rain check he had been hoping for, he'd actually imagined somewhere a bit more comfortable and less high risk than a room in the ICU. But when Natalie pulled herself into his lap and cradled his head in her hands, he realised just how much he needed to feel her close to him. It had been one hell of a day and he could feel the relief she was feeling her kisses.

As the pulled apart for air, Will's hand still resting low on her hips, Natalie took a shaky breath.

"I am so glad that you're going to be okay."

She'd worked so hard to keep her cool all day, to not let anyone see just how scared she was, but from the second Will had stumbled over in the ICU until she'd plucked the tick from his head, her heart hadn't stopped thundering in her chest. The worst part was that he didn't even seem panicked, he was treating the entire thing like an inconvenience as opposed to the potentially life threatening illness it could have been. He'd just been _annoyed_.

It was just a tick but it could have been so much worse.

It gave her some relief, knowing that it could have been worse and they'd been very lucky, that Will's paralysis was temporary and not travel any further than his knees. She didn't know if she could have coped seeing him intubated if truth be told, she'd been terrified enough by his inability to move his feet during is neuro exam.

Of course, she wasn't going to tell Will any of this, because this was _his_ paralysis. She was fine. He was the one who should have been scared.

"Course I am, I'm definitely not going anywhere while Natalie Manning owes me a rain check."

She laughed, but in the dim light Will could see her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Hey, don't get upset, I'll be back on my feet in no time." He ran his thumbs across her cheeks, catching stray tears. "Natalie, I'm not going to leave you."

The whole time, from the pins and needles kicking in to the complete numbness and then creeping paralysis, his biggest fear had been her. He'd barely been able to look her in the ye during his assessment with Sam and his team. He knew that she was wearing her concern on her face, that she couldn't hide it – and he hated that he was the one putting her through that. He hated that he was stressing her out but he was also glad that he was the one paralysed and not her. He knew what she was thinking and he whole heartedly agreed.

He was not allowed to die because Natalie could _not_ go through that again.

Plus, he was on a promise and he intended to make good on it. Dying was not an option.

"I know it's selfish but I was so scared. I was so scared that you were going to die if we didn't figure it out." She rested her head against his forehead, her hands tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I was scared too." He was stroking her cheek again. "I was scared of how much this was going to worry you but I was never worried that you wouldn't figure it out." He smirked. "You're the best doctor in the ED - after me of course."

That had her laughing. Sitting up on his thighs she shook her head at him. "I see your brush with death hasn't humbled you any."

"Like you would change anything about me."

Natalie shook her head. "You're unbelievable – but I am glad that you're going to be okay. I was just starting to tolerate you."

"Oh tolerate me, huh?" Will's hand slid lower onto her backside as he scooted her further up his thighs, tilting his face up towards hers. "That is not the impression I got from you this morning."

"And what impression was that?" Natalie smirked, millimetres from his lips.

"That you were in fact, very into me and _more_ than tolerated me." He ran a thumb along her bottom lip.

"You could be right but," she pressed a kiss to his lips, "I'll need that raincheck just to make sure."

He groaned as she pressed her lips to his neck, lighting nipping and kissing her way down to the junction of his neck and shoulder, where he knew he was particularly sensitive.

Not in the rush they had been earlier in the day, they took their time. To run their hands over each other, to just make out and enjoy themselves, enjoy each other. As Will's hands eased beneath Nat's scrubs, she absent mindedly began gently rocking her hips and allowed her hands to freely wander, sending his heartrate into the 80s and his blood pressure climbing. Something that his monitors very quickly picked up on.

"Shut them off." Will breathed, pushing Natalie's top higher up her body. "Before someone comes in."

"But what if –"

"Nat, please." His eyes were blazing. "I do not need another toy shark moment today."

"Okay," she caved. "Okay, we'll turn them down." She raised herself slightly and leaned over to turn the volume down on the monitors. "The leads stay on." She kissed him hard. "Just in case."

It was enough for Will who enthusiastically returned her kisses and resumed his exploration beneath her scrubs.

"So, what's you assessment Dr Manning?" He asked breathlessly, pulling her top over her head.

She rocked her hips against his, smirking at the sound of him biting back a moan. "You can _definitely_ feel everything above the knees."

"Excellent." Will grinned. "But I don't think a more thorough examination would hurt."

"Dr Halstead, I could not agree more."

**CM**

 **Thank you for reading! I know it's quite short but let me know what you thought!**


	6. Ties That Bind

**Hey guys, I'm back from coursework hell with a post 3x06 one-shot! Thanks to everyone who's been reading/following/reviewing. As always, please let me know what your thoughts are and thank you for reading!**

"So, how did it go with your patient earlier?" Will asked, handing Nat a mug of coffee and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, before sinking down next to her on the sofa. They'd spent much of the day at opposite ends of the ED with minimal interaction other than their quick, supportive hand squeezing. Both doctors had been swamped from the word go.

"Oh god," Natalie sighed, blowing gently on her coffee, "April is pretty pissed at me for potentially blowing apart Nancy's relationship with her mother, but I had to tell her."

"For sure," Will agreed, sipping on his own drink. "You can't withhold that kind of information."

"I'm hopeful they'll work it out though," Natalie mused. "They're all the other has and her mother was doing what she thought was best. I just can't imagine what she must have gone through."

"The mother?"

"Well, yeah, I understand she was put in a terrible position, lying to the person she loved the most to save her from prison - but I was mostly thinking about Nancy." She paused briefly. "All those years trying for a baby and never knowing why she could never get pregnant? It destroyed her marriage." Natalie smiled sadly. "Makes me even more grateful for Owen." Will met her gaze and she smirked. "Even if he's the reason you have to come over in secret in the dead of night."

Although Will was sort of a familiar face to Owen, it had been a while since he had visited with any sort of regularity. For that reason, Natalie had held off having Will around while the toddler was still awake. And besides, she enjoyed time with him between her shift ending and his bedtime. It was their time to build towers, read stories and just be together. It did make balancing her relationship with Will slightly more complicated though.

Since Will's brush with paralysis things had gotten significantly more serious. They'd worked out a schedule of sorts, in which they had some kind of date night once a week – sometimes they'd go out for dinner or go to see a movie after shift, a couple of times they'd been to a Blackhawks game and last night they'd gone to basketball game – and Will came over and stayed three nights a week. Coincidentally, these nights fell before mornings that Helen was _not_ scheduled to watch Owen and he arrived after Owen was in bed and left before he woke up. This meant setting an alarm for four thirty and on one occasion had meant sneaking out in the middle of the night when Owen woke up and refused to settle until Natalie had taken him into bed with her. That had only been once though and he didn't mind the four thirty wakeup call _too_ much.

"Well you make these clandestine meetings worth it," Will joked swinging his arm around her and pulling her into his side. Natalie curled against him, leaning her head on his chest, hands still wrapped around her coffee cup.

"I'm glad you think so." She closed her eyes. "I just can't imagine having a choice like that taken from me."

She was talking about Nancy again. Sparing a glance at Will she could see he was deep in thought.

"You okay?"

"Mmm, yeah." He drained his coffee. "You done?"

'Yeah." She sat up and handed him her cup, watched him untangled himself from her and cross the room to the kitchen where he ran the tap and started washing out their cups.

She followed him, coming up behind him and sliding her arms around his waist. Rising on her tips toes she pressed her lips to his neck. "Leave those, I'll get them in the morning." Will obediently set the cups down and turned in her arms. She brought her hands up to caress his cheeks, tangling her fingers in his curls, she leaned up again kissing him softly. He kissed her back and she could feel the smile on his face.

"So," she exhaled heavily as they pulled apart, "do you wanna stay down here and watch a movie or –"

Will cut her off kissing her again, this time with a greater urgency, he slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, pulling him flush against his chest. "I think we should skip the movie tonight."

**CM**

They were both sweating, and still breathing heavily when Natalie burrowed into his side. Will wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close despite the almost overwhelming heat, enjoying the contented silence and Nat's fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on his chest.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, peering up at him. It was pitch dark but she could just about make out his profile in the organgey glow from the streetlamps outside.

He didn't speak at first, instead he pressed a kiss to her hair, burying his face against her. She didn't push him, just waited until he was ready to speak.

"Do you ever think about it?" He asked hesitantly as Nat leaned up on her elbow. "I mean I know you have Owen, but do you ever think about, y'know having more kids?"

She smiled. So this is what had been bugging him earlier.

"Yeah, sometimes." He was watching her intently. She almost laughed out loud. "I'd love for Owen to have a sibling, it was something that really got me down in the first few months of his life, thinking that he might be an only child."

"But, it doesn't upset you anymore?"

"Well, when you're with someone you see a future with, things like that don't seem impossible anymore."

"So what you're saying is, at some point, you'd like to have another one?" Will asked cautiously. Natalie reached out to gently stroke his cheek as a warm, contended feeling filled her chest.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." She cuddled back against him, sighing gently. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

She couldn't see the satisfied grin plastered across his face. "Yeah, yeah that's what I wanted to hear."

"Good." Nat burrowed her head against his chest. "Now that we've cleared that up, shall we get a couple hours sleep before you have to go?"

"Yeah, definitely." She felt his lips on her head again and she smiled contentedly, briefly tightening her grip on his chest. "Night Natalie."

"Mmm, g'night Will."

This was the best part of having Will stay, Natalie thought as she drifted off, falling asleep wrapped in his arms.

Beside her, Will was happily picturing what their future might be like. What their family might look like a few years from now. Their family. _Theirs_. He liked the idea of that more than he could have thought possible. He'd never really considered the idea of his own family until recently. Most importantly, he couldn't remember ever asking any previous girlfriend about whether they wanted children. Of course, it had come up as a discussion point during dates, do you want kids at some stage? But he'd never been the one to ask and he'd never been asked so seriously as he had asked Natalie. He hadn't meant for it to be so intense but with the theme so prominent for them both that day, he'd felt the need to ask. He was almost embarrassed to admit the bubble of excitement that rose in his chest when Natalie had said she wanted to have more children. Realising kids were something he really wanted, he had been worried that having had Owen, she would be happy to stop there. He was incredibly relieved that she wasn't.

Now all he had to do was make sure he and Owen got along. _Easy_ , he thought. How difficult can it be to get a _toddler_ to like you?

 **I think that leads on nicely to the subsequent episodes, don't you? Please let me know your thoughts on this one! As ever, thanks for reading!**


	7. Over Troubled Water

**It's an odd sort of chapter this one. The first two sections are pre-episode 7 and the final part occurs between the end of 7 and beginning of 8.**

 **Sorry I've been MIA lately, I'm hoping to get lots of writing done for this series of one shots and aim to be finished "Only You" by the end of summer. If you read that there is more coming soon - I promise!**

 **As always thank you for reading! Hello to all of my new followers and welcome back t to those who have been reading for a while! I appreciate you all. As ever, feedback is greatly appreciated so drop me a review or send me a PM. I love to know what you're thinking!**

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Helen glanced over from where she was preparing dinner in the kitchen to see her grandson bouncing on top of the sofa and waving his hands excitedly.

"Owen Manning get down from there!"

Rubbing pasta sauce onto her apron, Helen dashed across the room and plucked the toddler off of pillows.

"The sofa is for sitting on, not climbing." She chided him gently, brushing his hair from his face and mentally adding a haircut to the list of things she wanted to talk to Natalie about.

Owen twisted in her arms and pointed to the window. "'ool! 'ook, gamma - mommy!"

As if on cue, the door opened and Natalie appeared, shaking snow from her hair as she closed the door. "Hey guys," she grinned, "haven't missed dinner, have I?"

"Right on time." Helen smiled as Owen through himself into his mom's arms and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Mommy, mommy, we go'd to the swings."

"The swings?!" Natalie enthused as she carried him into the kitchen and settled him into his high chair.

"Gamma push me."

"That was nice of grandma!"

"Grandma is worn out." Helen joked. "I have no idea where he gets all of his energy, especially since he's refused to nap today."

"He wouldn't go down?" Natalie asked as she helped Helen plate up their meal and set Owen's in front of him.

'I put him in his crib after lunch as usual, tucked him and left him alone - but he was still awake twenty minutes later and starting to fuss so I let him get up." Helen explained as they sat down to eat. "Speaking of his crib - you still haven't gotten around to building his bed?"

Owen had first tried to scale the sides of his crib when he was about sixteen months old, so in response Natalie had shifted the mattress to the setting closest to the floor. When they had returned from their three month trip to Seattle however, Owen had grown enough to start climbing again. She'd taken the base out so that he was as far down as the crib allowed him to be but he could hardly sleep like that, practically on the floor, forever so she'd bought a toddler bed just after Christmas. And she _had_ planned on building it and moving him into it but then Will had had his run in with the tick and they'd started spending a lot more time together, the nights he spent would never have been possible if Owen hadn't settled in his new bed and she just didn't want to take the risk when this thing with Will was still so new.

Natalie averted her eyes and dabbed at Owen's sauce covered face with a napkin. "Yeah, things have been pretty hectic with work and -"

"And with Will?" Helen asked. Nat's face flushed with colour. "Sorry I don't mean to pry." When Natalie continued to say silent she pressed again. "I know you've been seeing him and I know he was unwell recently - is everything okay?"

Natalie sighed. This was hardly the kind of conversation she wanted to be having with her mother-in-law. "He's all right now, thanks." She forced a smile. "I guess that was part of the reason. It's just so new and Owen's just so used to having me to himself that I'm just not sure how he'll take it."

To Nat's surprise, Helen laughed. "Natalie, he is two and a half. I'm sure Owen will barely understand what's going on. Besides, if you like him as much as I think you do then he'll just have to get used to it." Helen reached for her hand. "Nat, I've told you before, Jeff would never have wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life and he wouldn't have wanted you to raise Owen by yourself."

"But I'm not raising him by myself -"

"I think Jeffrey would have really liked Will." Helen cut in. "He's a good man. It's been very clear how much he cares about you for a long time, even if you didn't see it at first." Helen smiled. "He would want you both to be happy and looked after and I think those might be high on Dr Halstead's agenda."

Natalie smiled as Owen messily spooned pasta into his mouth before turning back to Helen. "So what you're saying is I should stop avoiding the issue."

Helen shrugged. "He needs to find out at some point."

** CM **

Will Halstead had _never_ been more tired in all of his life. He'd done runs of night shifts into runs of days for years and never quite felt this exhausted. These late nights and early mornings spent with Natalie were really starting to catch up with him. Slumped on the old chesterfield in his dad's living room, he found himself yawning again.

"So what's the deal with this girlfriend of yours?" Pat asked from his arm chair. "You go over late and you've been waking me up crashing in at five am - she's not married is she?" His tone was laced with skepticism. "Been down that road before and you got one hell of a black eye."

"For the millionth time, I didn't know that she was married." Will protested weakly. "And no - Natalie is not married."

"So what's the deal then?" Pat pressed. "What's with the whole "under the cover of darkness" thing about?"

Will sighed and ran his hand over his face. He'd been avoiding this conversation. He knew when he moved back in with his dad after breaking up with Nina that he would inevitably have to share parts of his life he'd rather not, as well as engaging in furious rows about what was and was not appropriate for a cardiothoracics outpatient to be eating post-valve replacement.

"Natalie has a son. His name is Owen and he's two and half."

He was met with a wall of silence, glancing over he could see the cogs turning in his dad's head. 'Wait, wait this isn't the woman you were talking about when you first came back to town? The widow? Who's husband was the army ranger?" Will was stunned his dad even remembered.

"Yeah that's the one, Pop."

"I thought you told me she had a crazy mother-in-law?"

"Helen's okay - she just got a bit nuts when Nat was in labour. Turns out she's actually a nice woman."

"Yeah until you start playing the father to her grandson." Pat sipped on his alcohol-free "beer". "God the things I do for you boy."

"I'm hoping it'll be okay - Natalie said that Helen was encouraging her to move on."

"So you want to then?" Pat asked, his tone was serious now.

"Want to what?"

"Be a dad to this kid."

Will yawned again. "Yeah. Yeah I do."

"Big responsibility." He warned. "You think you're ready for that?"

"I think so."

"Well, when you've met the kid and you're both, y'know, comfortable with each other, you should bring them here or we can go for dinner or something." Pat cleared his throat. "I'd like to meet them. This family of yours."

Before Will could say another word - Pat turned the volume on the TV to almost it's maximum. Drowning out any further conversation.

**CM**

" _You should stay."_

The relief that flooded through him was unreal. He had to stop himself from just slumping back down beside her and falling immediately back to sleep. Instead he grinned, joking about scraping ice off his windshield and pressed a kiss to her lips. She was smiling too and it felt so good to just pull the duvet around them and fall back asleep.

"So, how do you want to do this?"

Nat barely heard him, she was leaning on the doorframe, gazing absently at the freshly showered red head, who was towel drying his hair on her bed wearing nothing but a towel.

"Nat?" Will laughed. "Stop checking me out for five seconds."

"Don't flatter yourself," she teased, crossing the room toward him. "Actually was thinking that you should probably wear more clothes."

"Haha, I was thinking more along the lines of where would you like me to be?" He sounded so serious and Nat had to bite back a laugh. God, she loved him.

"Well he should be up soon." She tried in vain to not sneak a glance at him as he threw on his scrubs. "Why don't we just go downstairs and start on breakfast and when he gets up we can go from there."

She stood up and offered him her hand. "Come on - you're gonna be just fine."

"You think?" He sounded unsure and her heart swelled.

She leaned up on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I know so."

When she pulled away he was grinning. He pulled her flush against him for a brief hug and quick kiss to her hair, squeezing the hand he held in his. "Let's do it then."

Nat grinned and tugged him towards the door. "Let's."

 **So - thoughts? I'm not sure about this one but PLEASE let me know what you think, reviews and messages give me life.**


	8. Lemons and Lemonade

**Sorry for the wait on this one - it picks up from the end of S3 E8, Lemons and Lemonade.**

 _"_ _Let me break toddlers down for you – they eat, sleep, poop and play. Help them out with any one of those things and you're gold." –_ Maggie Lockwood

Leaving Will leaning against her kitchen cabinets, ice pressed to his face, Natalie returned to her son.

Crouching down beside him, she moved the blocks from his reach and held his hands in hers. "Owen, we do not throw blocks. That was very rude."

At her tone, the two and a half year old's lip trembled slightly. "I sorry mommy."

Natalie pursed her lips. "It's not me you need to say sorry too." Owen's eyes darted over his mother's shoulder to Will who had crept slowly back into the lounge area. "I want you to say sorry to Will for hitting him with the block and then you're going to put them all away." Natalie moved to retrieve the empty box for her son's toys, watching out of the corner of her eye as Owen slipped off of his seat and toddled obediently over to her boyfriend.

Will watched the kid approach, he slid the ice onto the dining table and copied Nat's crouch from before to bring himself eye level with her son. The boy looked over his shoulder, as if to check Natalie was watching, before turning back to Will.

"I sorry."

Will offered him smile. "Thanks buddy."

Then, completely unprompted, Owen tumbled forwards with arms outstretched for a hug. Caught by surprise, Will couldn't help the smile that burst across his face as he caught his girlfriend's eye.

Natalie grinned back before schooling her features, returning to the matter at hand.

"Okay Owen, blocks away – it's time for bed."

With the toddler distracted in tidying his blocks, Natalie turned back to Will.

"He absolutely, does not hate you." She raised a hand to cup his cheek, gently running a thumb over  
the bruise beneath his eye. "I promise."

When Natalie had gone for a shower the following morning, both Will and Owen were asleep.

When she returned to her bedroom, Will was no longer in bed and a dull thud followed by an eruption of high pitched giggles told her that both of her boys were very much awake.

She moved quietly, wanting to observe as long as she could. She sat on the stairs and peered through the spindles of the bannister, her heart soaring at the sight.

Owen had clearly mastered the controls of his new truck. The toddler was now making figure eights around the dining table and the kitchen island, laughing as Will jumped in and out of his path, pretending to chase him brandishing a tea towel. Every time the towel (or Will) came close, Owen let out a delighted shriek.

Will had the widest smile on his face as he ran round after her son and, mercifully, the second block assault had not resulted in another black eye.

As though hearing her internal wince over last night's incident, Will looked up and caught her.

"Uh oh Owen, we've been caught."

Owen turned his head as he spun back towards the dining table and spotted Natalie on the stairs. "Mommy!" He cried breaking the figure eight and hurtling towards the stairs. "Look at me! Driving!"

"That is so cool!" Nat enthused as her son spun the truck into the baby gate. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes mommy!" Owen nodded his head vigorously. "Will stay?"

Natalie laughed at the blush that crept onto Will's cheeks. "I'm sure he'll come back to play another time."

"No mommy. Will stay forever."

"We'll have to see about that." Natalie smirked, picking the boy up and settling him on her hip and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "How about, we ask him to stay for breakfast?"

Owen twisted to look at Will, who was struggling to stifle the proud grin tugging at his lips. "I would _love_ to stay for breakfast."

"Yay!" Own squealed, wriggling from his mother's grasp to wrap himself around Will's legs.

Will crouched down to stage whisper in the toddler's ear. "Do you think mommy will make us waffles?"

As her son turned to look pleadingly at her, Natalie shook her head in amusement.

"You're both so lucky I love you."

 **AN: Apologies for the delay in updating, myriad of health issues on top of personal issues on top of uni work and life in general, hope to get more up to date on both this and Only You in the next few weeks. Thank you for sticking with me - as always, reviews are appreciated.**


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